


I'll Always Be Back

by thehoundandthebird



Series: SanSan One Shots [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: ASoIaF, F/M, Game of Thrones - Freeform, I Am No Ser, Love, One Shot, SanSan Fan Fiction, Sandor Clegane - Freeform, Sandor x Sansa, Sansa Stark - Freeform, Short Story, Sworn Shield, a song of ice and fire - Freeform, little bird, sansan, the hound
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-29
Updated: 2013-07-29
Packaged: 2017-12-21 19:03:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/903769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehoundandthebird/pseuds/thehoundandthebird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a moment where Sansa looked down and didn’t say anything at all. “Take me with you, Sanda! I’ll be good, I swear it!"</p><p>Sandor lifted her chin again but this time she didn’t meet his eye. “Aye, Little Bird, I wish I could." A horn gently blew in the distance to signal the imminent departure from Winterfell. “Come along now, you’re to see me off to King’s Landing."</p><p>***</p><p>Young Sansa Stark was reluctant to watch her sworn shield Ser Sandor Clegane leave her for King's Landing. Ever since their first meeting, they were as thick as thieves. But she knew her loyal friend would be back some day. He wouldn't be gone forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Always Be Back

**Author's Note:**

> After being asked a few times, I have finally decided to post this One Shot from Tumblr on her. This One Shot is based off of a picture that the user kallielefdrawward from tumblr drew and I absolutely adore it. Sansa is aged down to six, I believe, and Sandor is about 22. If you want wish to see the picture, here's the link : http://kallielefdrawward.tumblr.com/post/55605961241/aged-up-a-little-more-this-time-sansa-is-around
> 
> Please leave a comment-- it's always good for the muse :) 
> 
> Enjoy!

"[I’ll] come back when [you call me], no need to say goodbye." — The Call, Regina Spektor (This is the song I was thinking about while writing this. I think it suits them perfectly in this particular story. Enjoy!"

All was quiet at night in the long corridors of Winterfell— well, all except for the near quiet footfalls of little Sansa’s feet. She roamed the cold, dank, dark hallways of Winterfell’s castle. You see, our little bird was on a mission to find her best and most loyal companion, Sandor Clegane… Or Ser Sanda, as she liked to call him. Sansa couldn’t quite pronounce his name yet.

Sandor was never really fond of the title ‘ser’ that many bestowed him— he was neither a knight nor a lord and he never wanted anything to do with the falsehoods that entailed them. But when it came to his Little Bird, he was puddy in her tiny fingers. Sandor would do nothing to upset his little heart of gold but would do anything in his power to place a smile on that pretty face of hers.

The two had formed an unusual bond from the moment Sandor arrived at the keep and they were inseparable since.

It was early on the morn of the departure to King’s Landing. King Robert had summoned all High Lords of Westeros for a council and Sandor was to escort Lord Eddard to the capitol of the Seven Kingdoms. Once there, he was would remain to train the members of the Gold Cloaks, or more commonly known as the Capitol’s City Guard. Sandor was the best swordsman in all of Westeros—next to his giant of a brother— but it was clear that no living man would dare spar with The Mountain That Rides. And for good reason, too: he wasn’t known to be the gentle type nor was he civil, to say the least.

Sansa searched every inch of the Keep and Sandor was nowhere to be found. She looked for him in his chambers, the Godswood, the Sept, the Grand Hall, even their super specialplace where just the two of them would spend time together. However, her loyal sworn shield was nowhere to be found.

Little Bird was about to give up hope when it dawned on her that there was one place left to look— the stables. Sansa’s tiny feet carried her quickly down the spiralling staircase and into the main entrance hall. She ran for the heavy wooden doors that exited to the terrace outside and pulled on the brass handle with all the strength she had in her. The doors were quite heavy and she was quite proud of herself when she managed to prop one open wide enough for her to slip through.

Once outside, Sansa looked to her right and saw an usually tall man, with a broad physique, dressed in a green tunic and worn practice pants. The man in question was tending his enormous black stallion, Stranger, and Sansa knew right away it was the man she was looking for.

With a smile on her face, Sansa ran as fast as she could to him and skidded to a stop, running into his tree trunk of a leg. “Oof!"

Sandor spun around and found a discombobulated Little Bird on her bottom. He looked down at her curiously but then smiled and picked her up, gently placing her down on a barrel in front of him. “What is my Little Bird doing out of her cage? You should be soundly asleep in your nest."

"I couldn’t sleep, Sanda," she confessed sadly.

"Why not?" he looked into her Tully blue eyes with worry. “Did you have another one of those nightmares again?"

"No, Sanda."

Sandor knitted his eyebrows in concentration and attempted to read what the little she-wolf was trying to say. “Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you, little one."

Sansa looked down at her hands, her lower lip out in a sad pout, and she twiddled her thumbs. “Do you really have to go, Sanda? I don’t want you to leave me. Who will be my friend and my shield when you’re gone?"

Sandor chuckled softly and lifted her chin so that she was looking directly at him— she didn’t flinch at the sight of his scars anymore, he noted. “Aye, Little Bird, I have to go. Jory Cassel is a fine protector and he would do anything for you. King Robert needs me to train some of his men in King’s Landing. Do you remember what I told you about kings?"

"That if you don’t do what they command, they could punish you?"

Sandor nodded his approval. “Yes, that’s what could happen."

Sansa’s eyes began to water and she flung her arms around Sandor’s neck. She held on to him as tightly as she could. “Please don’t go, Sanda! What if you make a silly mistake and h-he takes you away from me forever?"

Sandor squeezed his little treasure and pried her from him and sat her back down on the barrel. “Do you remember all the times I left you?"

She nodded her head yes. “Then you know that I’ll always be back. Don’t cry, little bird. This isn’t goodbye for good."

There was a moment where Sansa looked down and didn’t say anything at all. “Take me with you, Sanda! I’ll be good, I swear it!"

Sandor lifted her chin again but this time she didn’t meet his eye. “Aye, Little Bird, I wish I could." A horn gently blew in the distance to signal the imminent departure from Winterfell. “Come along now, you’re to see me off to King’s Landing."

"Wait, Sanda," Sansa placed her tiny hands on Sandor’s chest as he attempted to lift her. “I have a gift for you— a favor to have so you can remember me."

"I could never forget you, Little Bird."

Sansa reached into the shirt of her nightgown and pulled out a long chain. At the end of it was a pendant fashioned into a bird sitting on the back of a hound. She placed it into Sandor’s large hand and he stared at it with tear-filled eyes. He smiled fondly at the simple gift and traced its outline with his calloused finger.

"Lady Mother helped me fashion it out of some gold wire we had left over…" Sansa trailed off a moment and then looked into the hound’s stormy grey eyes with sadness. “Please come back soon, Sanda. Safe and sound."

The next comment the little bird made caught him by surprise but filled him with a great pride he never thought he could ever feel again. She flung her arms back around his neck and said, “I love you, Sanda."

A tear spilled over his scarred cheek and he held her tightly. “And I you, Sansa. I’ll be back for you one day. I swear it on all your gods I’ll be back."

He planted a kiss on her forehead, placed her on the ground beside him, lead Stranger from his stall, and then he was gone.

"He’ll be back, Sansa. Don’t you worry. Your Hound will come back for you," Sansa told herself as she watched the host of men gallop South over the hills and into the rising sun.


End file.
